


Crushed Petals

by kiyala



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Hanahaki Disease, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-15 23:52:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7243888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kyoutani has been uncomfortably aware of his crush long before Yahaba slammed him against a wall during the Spring High preliminaries, but it's gotten worse since then, while he was hoping he would just get over it.</p><p>Judging by the petals he's currently crushing into the pavement, however, he's utterly failed at that. Just his luck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crushed Petals

**Author's Note:**

> written for [kyouhaba week](http://kyouhabaweek.tumblr.com/) day 1 - plants!
> 
> art by the wonderful and talented [cat](http://catfeindraws.tumblr.com/)!

[ ](http://catfeindraws.tumblr.com/post/146156915920/kyouhaba-week-day-1-this-was-an-collab-with)

There's something comforting about being in a gymnasium in the middle of practice, with the sound of volleyballs hitting the floor, the steady rhythm of the coach's whistle being blown as the team does drills, the smell of sweat and deodorant and floor polish. That much, at least, doesn't change whether Kyoutani happens to be practicing at the local university, or at school with the rest of his team. He tries to keep that in mind, as he walks through the doors for afternoon practice, wearing the same mint green practice uniform as everyone else.

Some of his teammates look up at his entrance, but none of them react with surprise any more. It's no longer such a big deal to see him there, they've come to accept it, and no one comments on it, not even Yahaba—even if Kyoutani sometimes catches him looking, eyebrows drawn together into a light frown.

For the most part, Kyoutani turns away because catching Yahaba looking means that Yahaba's just caught him doing the same. He's never known how to deal with Yahaba; not when they were first-years and definitely not now. The only thing he knows is that every since their match against Karasuno, looking at Yahaba, or even thinking about him, doing odd things to Kyoutani's stomach. It leaves him feeling sick and nervous, and he can't make it go away so he's decided to just ignore it instead, hoping that it goes away on its own.

Oikawa and the other third years are still practicing with the rest of the club, claiming that they have a few more weeks before it's crunch time for them to start studying for their exams, and they might as well use that to make sure that they're happy with the team that they're leaving behind. Oikawa has, in no uncertain terms, made it clear that he isn't going anywhere until he's happy with how Kyoutani fits into the team. Before their match against Karasuno, Kyoutani was sure that he'd outlast the deadline of Oikawa's looming graduation. Since then, however, things have changed. 

He feels it when he's among his teammates, when he's on his way to practice, in the short moments he sometimes spends with them during their lunch break. He's starting to understand their playing styles and how they work with his own. He's learning to be patient on the court, and he knows that it hasn't escaped Oikawa's notice.

Today, he's playing a three-on-three match at one side of the gymnasium, while Oikawa practices with Yahaba at the other. Kyoutani has noticed the way Oikawa has been spending more time practicing with Yahaba lately and he's noticed the results as well. Yahaba is gaining confidence in his own skills, and Oikawa has pulled Iwaizumi into spiking for them, Kyoutani tries not to examine his jealousy too closely, not even sure who it's directed at, but he can't deny the fact that between practicing with the team's captain and the ace, Yahaba has been pushing himself to do even better.

He's not the only one to notice it, either. He's been playing against Hanamaki and Matsukawa, and he hears them talking as they wait for Kunimi to retrieve the ball between points.

"Yahaba's improved a lot, eh?" Hanamaki murmurs, and Kyoutani doesn't mean to eavesdrop, it's just that he can't help but pay attention.

Matsukawa hums, looking in Yahaba's direction for a moment. He rubs his chin, and Kyoutani unintentionally follows his gaze. He watches as Oikawa stands by the net, throwing the ball for Yahaba to toss. He watches as Iwaizumi lams the ball down on the other side of the court, letting out a whoop of satisfaction and clapping Yahaba on the shoulder.

"That felt awesome to hit, Yahaba!" 

"Hm, yeah," Matsukawa says at length. "I'd say he's coming along pretty well."

Kyoutani keeps watching, caught somewhere between awe and envy as he sees a wide grin spreading across Yahaba's face, his cheeks flushing pink. It makes Kyoutani's chest feel tight and he frowns as he turns away. He clears his throat quietly, but he can't quite get rid of the feeling that there's something stuck in his throat. He coughs this time, and it draws his seniors' attention.

"I hope you're not getting sick," Hanamaki says, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Don't let Oikawa hear you coughing," Matsukawa adds. "Doesn't matter that we don't have any upcoming matches to play. He'll make you drink so much orange juice that it's all you'll be tasting for _weeks_."

"M'not getting sick," Kyoutani replies, and his voice sounds clear enough, even if he can still feel something irritating the back of his throat. "I'll be fine."

They get back to their game and Kyoutani does his best not to look in Yahaba's direction again. No matter how many times he hears Iwaizumi slamming yet another ball down. No matter how much he wants to. He ignores the way his stomach twists and tries to focus on his game and nothing else, because he doesn't want to think too deeply about what any of it might actually mean.

He succeeds for the rest of practice. Oikawa isn't the only one of the third years who wants to push the rest of the team into improving. Hanamaki and Matsukawa are difficult to play against; they might not have the kind of power that Kyoutani does, but they're analytical as they play. Hanamaki is incredibly versatile on the court, and Matsukawa is frustratingly good at blocking and adjusting his playing style to work against his opponents. He doesn't let Kyoutani spike the way he wants and it's difficult to get past his blocks when there are only three people on each team. If Kyoutani wants any chance of scoring, he's going to have to be clever about it too. 

He pulls Watari aside, as Kindaichi is getting ready to serve. "Get the ball up somewhere Matsukawa can't block. As close to the net as you have to, I don't care. I'll get to it."

Watari hums, looking unconvinced. "I'm not Oikawa-san, you know."

"I know that," Kyoutani says, reminding himself to be patient about this. "No one is Oikawa except for him. I'm not asking you to be. Just toss the ball. Anyone can do that."

Watari nods slowly. "I get what you're saying. Just… maybe next time don't make the setter sound so replaceable? I don't mind, but it probably won't sit as well with a few other people."

Kyoutani immediately thinks of Yahaba, turning to look at him without a thought. He catches Yahaba smiling again, and their eyes meet for a brief moment before they both look away. Kyoutani clears his throat, turning back to the game and getting ready as Kindaichi serves.

It takes him and Watari a few tries, but they finally get into a good rhythm, and Kyoutani spikes fast enough that Matsukawa can't get his block up at the right angle in time. It's incredibly satisfying, and the pride in Matsukawa's grin only makes Kyoutani feel even better about it. He slaps Watari on the back, earning him a surprised look before Watari grins, returning the gesture. 

This is his team. He knows that by now; these are the people he's going to spend the next year growing with, and he knows that it's not going to be easy for him, but that's no reason to run away from it. He's learned that, too.

He doesn't look at Yahaba again until the end of practice. Kyoutani leaves the gymnasium with most of his teammates, but Yahaba stays back with Oikawa so that they can work on the accuracy and control of his tosses. Kyoutani tries to shrug it off, but he can't help thinking about it as he changes in the club room. He wonders if Iwaizumi can feel the difference in the tosses Yahaba sends him these days, wonders if he'd be able to do the same. They haven't actually played together since the match against Karasuno. He can't help but feel curious about how it would go, now.

He's so caught up in his own thoughts that he doesn't even realise he's the last person left in the club room until he glances around. With a sigh, he slings his bag over his shoulder and opens the door, only to collide into Yahaba.

"Oh." Yahaba stumbles backwards, reaching out to steady himself against Kyoutani's shoulders. He blinks at Kyoutani in surprise, then offers him a small smile. "Sorry. I didn't see you."

"S'okay," Kyoutani manages to say, feeling like his throat is closing up. He nods at Yahaba before gently pushing past him to get out of the club room. He doesn't look back, walking as fast as he can out of the school.

He gets as far as the front gate before he starts coughing. After a couple of steps, it's already gotten bad enough that he's doubling over, his bag falling on the ground at his side.

"No," he croaks out, as if it's going to make a difference. There's no one listening, anyway. 

He coughs louder, until he's on his knees and he feels like his entire body is shaking with it. His chest is tight and he covers his mouth with his hands because he knows what's coming next, even though he wishes he didn't.

Kyoutani's coughing fit stops just as quickly as it started and he looks down at his hands, his heart sinking when he sees the small, white flowers sitting in his cupped hands.

"No," he repeats firmly, dropping the flowers to the ground as he stands, crushing them beneath the heel of his sneakers. "Not happening."

Everyone knows that coughing up flowers is a sign of unrequited love. It's embarrassing and incredibly obvious, and it's not entirely uncommon around their school, but Kyoutani knows that he's going to have to do his best to hide it all the same. It doesn't happen for simple crushes—only when people genuinely feel like they're in love with someone, and are unfortunate enough that their feelings aren't returned. Kyoutani has been uncomfortably aware of his crush long before Yahaba slammed him against a wall during the Spring High preliminaries, but it's gotten worse since then, while he was hoping he would just get over it.

Judging by the petals he's currently crushing into the pavement, however, he's utterly failed at that. Just his luck.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When Kyoutani wakes the next morning, he lies in bed with his hands covering his face, overcome with the stubborn desire to skip the day of school.

He really doesn't want to see Yahaba today. He's spent all of last night convincing himself that it was just some weird coincidence, that he didn't _actually_ cough up flowers, that he's not actually in love.

It's bad enough that he had to go and choose Yahaba, of all people. It's even worse that Yahaba doesn't like him back, but Kyoutani is trying his best not to dwell on that at the moment. Right now, he's more concerned about making sure that Yahaba never finds out about it. Surely, he'll find a way to manage. Maybe, when he gets to school, he won't look at Yahaba and cough at all. It'll just be some sort of weird joke that his body is playing on him, and he'll be able to put the whole ordeal behind him with no one noticing anything.

Unfortunately, that's not the case at all. He drags himself out of bed and gets ready for the day, getting to school in time for morning practice. He's about to walk into the gymnasium when he hears Yahaba's voice from inside, and that's enough to have him walking away from the door, hands already covering his mouth as he coughs. He hopes he's far enough away from the gymnasium that no one else can hear, and he squeezes his eyes shut, coughing up flowers until there's nothing left. He shoves them out of sight, into a nearby bush, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand and clearing his throat. This side of the school is still fairly empty and he's grateful for it, because it means that there isn't anyone walking past at this time of the morning.

Once he's sure that it's completely out of his system, he walks into the gymnasium. Yahaba is practicing with Oikawa and Iwaizumi again, and Matsukawa gestures for Kyoutani to join him, along with some of the other third years.

"More of what we were doing yesterday," Matsukawa decides, with a lazy grin tugging at his lips. "You were pretty good at coming up with ways to get past my block when we were playing our game. I think we should get you practicing that a bit more, with a few different middle blockers. Oi, Kindaichi, you come over here too. Bring Kunimi with you."

"This guy," Hanamaki picks up the explanation, nodding in Kunimi's direction, catching him mid-yawn, "is the complete opposite of you. While you put as much power into a spike as you can, Kunimi will expend the least amount of energy possible. It's pretty useful, for when the matches run long, because it means that he get tired as quickly. Even if it _does_ mean that he ends up avoiding things instead of meeting them head-on."

Kunimi looks away in reply, and Kyoutani notices the tips of his ears turning red.

"I think you'll learn a lot, playing with each other," Hanamaki decides, folding his arms across his chest. "I know you're not the type to feint, Kyoutani, because you'd rather use overwhelming force to win your point. In the end, though, they still count for one point each. There's isn't really a better way to do, but maybe you should both consider that having more than one option will end up working to your benefit."

Kyoutani has to concede the fact that Hanamaki has a point. As difficult as it is to break out of his own habits, it _does_ mean that he pays more attention to it all the way through morning practice. The coach has them spend most of their time doing drills every morning, but the last half hour is spent playing three-on-three matches, and Kyoutani might not be able to stop himself from swinging his arm as hard as he usually does, but he starts learning to identify places where it might be more useful to do something different.

Kunimi's feints are timed just right, to make it past the blocks that Kyoutani can't break his way through. It's frustrating to watch, and Kyoutani is caught between wanting to try it for himself, and wanting to succeed with his own approach.

He doesn't even realise that Yahaba is watching him until the final whistle blows, calling an end to morning practice. Kyoutani looks up from the ball that he's holding, meeting Yahaba's eyes. He can feel the urge to cough building at the back of his throat, but he holds it back, not letting it show in his expression at all as he watches Yahaba in return.

"You're putting more thought into how you move," Yahaba comments, as they fall into step with each other, walking towards the corner of the gymnasium, where the coach is waiting for their usual post-practice meeting. "It really shows."

Kyoutani hums inquisitively, because he doesn't want to try speaking and risk the chance of having another coughing fit. He's glad when Yahaba takes it as a sign to keep talking.

"Practicing with Matsukawa-san and Hanamaki-san is working pretty well for you, I think," Yahaba continues. "Kunimi too. I think he'll end up learning as much from you as you do from him. That's what this team is going to need, from here on out. We're going to have to rely on each other, trust each other, and help each other grow—and before you ask, no, that's not something Oikawa-san told me. I figured it out for myself."

Kyoutani snorts quietly, bumping their shoulders together gently in lieu of an actual reply. It makes Yahaba smile, though, and that only makes his urge to cough even worse. He's glad when they reach the small semi-circle around Coach Irihata, their attention turned to him instead of each other. His meetings are usually quick and to the point, because he's rarely covering points that they don't already know themselves.

It's one of the things Kyoutani likes best about this team; they know what they're capable of, and they know what they need to work on. They're realistic about what they can achieve, and he knows that they're going to feel the loss of the third years, but he's certain that their retirement isn't going to mean the end of things. The remaining members know that they have big shoes to fill. They know what they need to do in order to achieve that, too.

He waits until they're dismissed, and everyone else is heading back to the club room to change. He takes a quick detour around the side of the gymnasium, to a quiet corner where he can cough again. There are even more flowers this time and he looks at them in disgust, letting them drop to the floor, stepping on them on his way past, back around towards the club room.

Most of the others have already gone off to their homerooms, but Yahaba is still there, slow to change because he's talking to Watari. They both look up as Kyoutani enters the club room, smiling at him before resuming their conversation, and Kyoutani smiles back, already feeling his next cough building up.

This is going to be the worst thing ever. He wonders if there's any quick way to fall out of love with someone, so he doesn't have to deal with this any more.

He spends most of the day thinking about Yahaba's worst qualities, trying to make a mental list of all the reasons he doesn't actually like Yahaba at all. It only succeeds in leaving him with a strange feeling of _fondness_ that makes his heart feel like it's squeezing, and a smile that tugs at his lips no matter how hard he tries to bite it back. It makes him feel like coughing even more, and by the end of the day, he realises that all he's succeeded in doing is making the whole thing even worse than before.

Now, he doesn't even have to _look_ at Yahaba before he feels like coughing. The smallest, passing thought will do, making his heart swell at the same time that it makes his throat feel like it's filling with flowers. He holds it back through classes, locking himself in the bathroom during breaks to cough it all out, hoping that no one else will hear him and figure it out. He's lucky that he barely talks as it is, because he's too afraid to open his mouth now. He's too afraid of giving himself away, and he's grateful when he gets through the day without anyone realising what's going on, especially Yahaba. All he needs to do now is survive the rest of the week, and find a way to get over Yahaba, even if that's starting to feel more and more impossible with each handful of flowers.

 

 

* * *

 

 

To his credit, Kyoutani supposes, he nearly manages to make it through an entire week before he gets caught out.

It's not even his fault, really, but when Oikawa decides to pair him with Yahaba for practice one afternoon, he knows he's doomed.

There's only so much he can do while he's trying to suppress a cough the entire time. He tries not to be charmed by every little thing that Yahaba does, but it honestly feels impossible. He loves the way Yahaba is so earnestly trying his best to improve. He's so driven, and he's already come a long way in the past few weeks, but he isn't satisfied with that. He wants more, and it's infectious. It makes Kyoutani want to try harder as well, and this time, playing on the same court as each other, right beside each other, Kyoutani feels them click in a way that they never have before.

It's incredibly satisfying, even if Kyoutani can't look at Yahaba for too long before having to turn away before he ends up coughing. There's a short break in between sets and Kyoutani silently excuses himself, walking out of the gymnasium when everyone else's attention is turned to the other games that are still going. He walks around to the same corner he's been hiding in to cough, his entire body already trembling with just how much he's been holding it back.

He coughs hard enough that he has to bend over, and then even that isn't enough. He kneels on the ground, bent over himself, coughing up so many flowers that he can't even hold them all, watching as they spill over his hands and onto the ground in front of him. He wishes he could hate Yahaba for putting him through this, but the flowers clearly say otherwise. It's frustrating, and embarrassing, and despite his best efforts, he has it just as bad for Yahaba now as he did at the start of the week. Perhaps it's gotten even worse.

He doesn't hear the footsteps behind him until Oikawa clears his throat loudly.

"Kyouken-chan."

"Go away," Kyoutani mutters, not looking up. Of course it's Oikawa, of all people. _Of course_ it is.

"I'd tease you about your little crush, but it looks like it's a bit bigger than that," Oikawa says. "Look at you, growing up so fast—"

Kyoutani actually growls this time, baring his teeth at Oikawa. He must look ridiculous, with flowers still in his mouth, and he feels the back of his neck burning with embarrassment as he spits them out, getting to his feet. He pushes past Oikawa, making a soft sound of surprise when he's pulled back. Oikawa is holding onto the back of his shirt, tightly enough that his knuckles are going white.

"I know what it's like," Oikawa says simply, and he's not looking at Kyoutani. He's turned away, and Kyoutani is glad for it, glad that he doesn't have to hold Oikawa's gaze while they talk about this. "It happened to me too. It sucks, doesn't it? As if it's not bad enough that he doesn't feel the same, you're stuck with the coughing and the embarrassingly obvious flowers, and the whole thing is unfair, if you ask me."

"I didn't," Kyoutani points out, folding his arms across his chest.

With a soft laugh, Oikawa lets go of Kyoutani's shirt. "I'll tell you what. The feeling you get when it finally stops? That's the best part."

"I'm trying to get over it," Kyoutani mumbles, before he can even stop himself from sharing. He frowns at the ground. "It's not going very well. The coughing probably isn't going to stop for a while."

"If you say so," Oikawa hums, and before Kyoutani can ask him what _that_ means, he turns around, walking back to the gymnasium. "Come on, Kyouken-chan. Before anyone notices that we're missing."

Oikawa's words, as confusing and frustrating as they are, help make Kyoutani feel a little more settled for the rest of practice. So it's not just him. He finds himself wondering when it happened to Oikawa, and how well he managed to hide it. Perhaps it happened in the time when Kyoutani was avoiding going to practice, and he wonders if he would feel any different now if he witnessed it for himself; Oikawa ducking off to cough up flowers in secret, probably wearing the same smile that he always does, deflecting questions about where he's been. Kyoutani wonders if he can learn to do that, to deflect and make it look like nothing is out of the ordinary, especially when his cough gets worse.

It's not until the end of the day, when the sun is setting and they're all slowly and tiredly making their way out of the school grounds, that Oikawa's words really click. It only really occurs to Kyoutani when he has the context for it, when he sees Oikawa walking with Iwaizumi, both of them talking and laughing with each other.

There's something soft in Iwaizumi's expression when he looks at Oikawa, reaching out to shove him gently. Kyoutani looks at the way Oikawa's fingers curl around Iwaizumi's wrist, the way his laughter gets even louder, and he stops in his tracks.

" _Oof_." Yahaba says softly, as he walks into Kyoutani.

Kyoutani straightens up, looking over his shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"What are _you_ doing?" Yahaba replies, taking a step back. "I was trying to walk, and you just stopped all of a sudden."

"Didn't realise you were behind me," Kyoutani mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck. "Why were you walking so close anyway? Pay attention when you're walking."

" _You_ pay attention," Yahaba retorts, but he's smiling, and Kyoutani's heart skips a beat. "Why are you so… so ridiculous? Absolutely ridiculous. This whole thing is ridiculous."

"What is?" Kyoutani asks, feeling a little defensive. He wonders if Oikawa has said anything to Yahaba—he thinks back, realising that he never made it clear who his feelings were for, but Oikawa must have come to his own conclusions anyway. Oikawa always knows way too much.

"It's just…" Yahaba begins, but trails off with a shrug. "Today's practice was really good, Kyoutani. I had fun. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah," Kyoutani says, a little stunned as he watches Yahaba walk off.

It isn't until he gets home that he realises that he didn't cough once after his conversation with Yahaba. His stomach is the same twisting mess that it always is whenever he even so much as _thinks_ about Yahaba, but there's no coughing, and no flowers.

Kyoutani frowns, and tries his very best not to think about what it means. He doesn't want to overthink it and come to the wrong conclusion, even if he can't think of any other possible reason. He tells himself that he'll wait until tomorrow, until he can confirm it for himself.

He doesn't think that a single night has ever felt quite so long for him as this does, and he barely gets a wink of sleep, but he's still up early the next morning, ready for morning practice a little ahead of schedule. By the time he gets to the gymnasium, it's only Oikawa and Iwaizumi there, practicing their serves with each other. He waves at them as he walks past the open door of the gym, towards the club room to put his bag down.

When he opens the door, he finds that Yahaba is already inside. He freezes up in the doorway, but the cough that he's half-expecting doesn't come. Yahaba turns around, eyes going wide when he sees that it's Kyoutani.

"Um." Kyoutani shuts the door behind him softly, momentarily wishing that he could lock it to make sure that nobody else walks in to interrupt this moment. "Hey. Didn't think anyone else was here yet except for Oikawa and Iwaizumi."

"Hey," Yahaba replies, turning around to face Kyoutani. He tilts his head to the side. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Kyoutani says, his voice strained. "Just fine. How about you?"

Yahaba snorts quietly, averting his gaze and running a hand through his hair. Kyoutani follows the movement with his eyes, his tongue darting out to wet his lips.

"You know," Yahaba says, looking up to hold Kyoutani's gaze again. "I woke up this morning expecting to have a cough."

Kyoutani tries very hard not to choke on his own breath. "Really."

"It's just…" Yahaba shrugs, "how things go, I guess? You know. Coughing. Mouth full of flowers. That sort of thing."

"Oh." Kyoutani wishes that he wasn't such an obvious blusher, because he's sure that he's giving himself away right now. If anything, though, Yahaba just looks pleased, a smile spreading across his lips, and he lowers his eyes for a moment, before looking up again. Kyoutani doesn't think he's ever really noticed Yahaba's eyelashes before, the way he does right now. He sucks in an uneven breath, waiting for Yahaba to continue.

"You know, I was wondering why you kept ducking out of sight all week," Yahaba says, his hands clasped together, fingers twisting nervously. "It's like every time someone looked away, you'd be gone. And I'm just guessing here, but I suppose that if I had a cough that I didn't want anyone else to know about, I'd be doing the same thing. I was preparing to do the same thing."

"Well," Kyoutani says softly, and he thinks he understands what Oikawa was talking about yesterday, because he suddenly can't stop smiling. "Lucky you. No need for any of that."

"But you went through it," Yahaba murmurs. "I'm sorry."

"Not for long," Kyoutani replies, and honestly, it could have been much worse than a handful of days. Kyoutani was expecting it to be _much_ worse than that. "Not your fault."

"You know when I was calling things ridiculous yesterday, I really meant _this_. The fact that I… well. Are you going to say it?" Yahaba asks. "Or should I? Considering I'm the one who kept you waiting."

With a huff of laughter, Kyoutani crosses the room, closing the distance between the two of them. "I don't think we really need to say anything, when we already know, huh?"

"That's so typical of you," Yahaba grumbles, but it comes out fond. He smiles, reaching for Kyoutani. His hands are warm as he links his fingers with Kyoutani's, pulling him closer. "Someone's going to walk in on us."

"Better keep it short, then," Kyoutani replies, and he doesn't think he's brave enough to kiss Yahaba properly just yet, so he settles for kissing the tip of his nose instead. "There."

"Tease," Yahaba protests.

"The flowers were worth it," Kyoutani tells him, "for this."

He means it, too. Yahaba's cheeks go pink, but he's grinning. Kyoutani grins back, squeezing Yahaba's hands before letting go.

"Come on, let's get going." Kyoutani leads the way back out. "Maybe we can get to practice with each other again today. It'll be easier when I'm trying not to cough."

"I can imagine," Yahaba says, walking right beside Kyoutani, their shoulders brushing.

Oikawa gives them a knowing smile as they walk in together. Kyoutani wonders if he somehow knew that this would happen, but it doesn't matter. Not when Yahaba brushes past him, warm against his side for a moment before he's gone, walking ahead of him. Kyoutani walks a step behind him, mainly so Yahaba doesn't see the fond smile spreading across his lips.


End file.
